"Fuck!" Aurie muttered.

Naomi looked up and saw that Finn once again had entered their store. Just on time. Whatever he did for a living, he liked to spend his lunch break going to their store to try his hardest to get with Aurie.

"Hi, sunshine," Finn grinned.
"What can I get you today?" Aurie asked.
"That's a nice color on you," Finn looked at her breasts. "I'll have two scoops of strawberry."

Aurie didn't think her shirt was the right shade of red to be seen as strawberry but Finn would always find a way to comment on something on her and be a creep in general. She started making his ice cream as many times before. The bell from the door sounded again. She looked up to see Jimmy enter with the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Roman from the picture. She looked over at Naomi who smirked and nodded. Aurie quickly finished the ice cream and looked at Finn.

"Any topping?" Aurie asked.
"Yeah, give me some of the chopped pistachios to fulfill the strawberry look," Finn said. "That shirt is amazing on you. It hugs your tits just right. Mind bending over for me to give me a better look down your cleavage?"
"What the fuck did you just say to her?" Roman shouted.

Finn turned around and found himself face to face with a man bigger than himself.

"I gave her a compliment," Finn said.
"No, you did not, you fucking piece of shit! You're harassing her! You're harassing my girlfriend!" Roman shouted.
"Told you," Naomi chuckled lowly.

Finn's eyes widened in fear. The man in front of him was bigger and looked way stronger, and he had just thrown out there that Aurie was indeed his girlfriend. Yesterday he hadn't believed Naomi when she said Aurie was spoken for. Today he was about to piss his pants in fear of the angry man in front of him. Roman grabbed Finn's shirt and yanked him close.

"What have you got to say for yourself?" Roman snarled.
"I'm sorry," Finn said. "I just think she's really pretty."
"Keep your thoughts to yourself. You're not welcome here anymore. If I ever catch you here again, I'm gonna break bones. I won't tell you which ones. It'll be a surprise," Roman said. "Am I making myself clear?"

Finn nodded. His voice seemed to have abandoned him.

"Am I making myself clear?" Roman shouted.
"Yes!" Finn shouted. "I'm sorry! I'll never come back here!"
"Good boy," Roman said.

Roman dragged Finn to the door and pushed him out of it. Finn took off running without looking back. Roman turned around and smiled at Aurie while walking up to the counter.

"Hi, I'm Roman," he said.
"I figured," she chuckled. "Ice cream?"

She handed him the finished ice cream that Finn never got. He took it with a smile and pointed at a table.

"Do you have time to talk?" Roman asked.
"She has time," Naomi grinned. "Go on. Get to know each other."
"I'll help Naomi," Jimmy said.

The married couple grinned at each other as Jimmy ran behind the counter and pushed Aurie out towards Roman.

"He doesn't bite," Jimmy whispered. "Unless you ask him to."
"Jimmy!" Aurie muttered.
"I can hear you, uce," Roman chuckled. "But he's right though. No biting."
"Unless she asks," Jimmy chuckled.
"Enough, you bonehead," Naomi grabbed Jimmy's hand. "Come help me chop some nuts."

Roman sat down, tasted his ice cream and made a sound of satisfaction. Aurie sat down at the same table and smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said.
"Don't mention it. I just hope I scared him away from good," he said.
"I hope so too," she said.
"If not, I'm gonna be right across from you from next month. Just call for me and I'll come running. Or I can practically look through your windows from my shop. I'll spot him if he comes around," he said.
"So you're actually gonna jump into the coffee shop adventure?" She asked.
"Yeah, it sounds like fun. And I like coffee. I mean, what's not to like? It's coffee. Everyone likes some type of coffee nowadays. Even teenagers as long as it's cold and full of sugar. I can make it work," he said.

He turned his eyes to the floor and broke out in a wide smile.

"Who's this handsome fellow?" He asked.

She looked down and saw her dog Heimdal. The dog wagged its tail as it sniffed Roman before walking over to Aurie and demanded to be lifted up to sit on her lap. She reached down and picked up her dog.

"This is Heimdal," she said.
"I love dogs," he said.

He leaned forward and scratched Heimdal's ear.

"Who's a good boy?" He asked. "You are! Yes, you are!"
"Are you trying to score points with me?" She smirked.
"Is it working?" He smirked back.
"Totally," she laughed.
"Cool," he grinned. "How about dinner tonight? With Naomi and Jimmy as a double date so you can feel safe. I don't know how you feel about men in general after having dealt with that creep for so long. I don't wanna scare you."
"Men don't scare me," she smiled. "But a double date sounds nice."

He smiled back at her and turned his attention back to the ice cream before it started melting over his hand.

"Naomi!" Aurie called.
"We're having Mexican!" Naomi yelled back.

Aurie smirked at Roman who chuckled in return.

"You knew she was listening?" He asked.
"I know her pretty good," she answered. "She wants this to happen so bad that I almost feel like we would be breaking her heart if we don't go out on at least one date."
"Just one?" He pouted. "Man, I was hoping for at least two."
"I hear you have a dog too," she said. "If our dogs get along, I'm sure we can work out more than one date."
"They're gonna love each other," he grinned.